Win a Date Night with Downton Abbey's Mr. Bates

How much would you pay for a date night with Downton Abbey’s Mr. Bates? You can stop wondering and start bidding because Brendan Coyle, the tortured valet’s portrayer, has put himself up for auction. It’s for a benefit for the Origin Theatre. The winning bidder gets a night on the town with Coyle. But it’s a different take on the traditional romantic evening according to the theatre website description:

“The winner of the table-turning prize will read poetry to Coyle in a horse-drawn carriage ride in Central Park, and then take Coyle to dinner at the super fancy Per Se at the Time Warner Center, all the while making sure that Coyle's every need is taken care of. The bidder will offer to share their dessert with Coyle, and, after dinner will make sure Coyle gets home safely by depositing him in a cab and shutting the door for him. Coyle will then let the bidder know that he has arrived safely at his hotel.”

If this sounds like a dream evening to you, act now and put in a bid. The auction closes May 29 at 11:59 p.m. eastern time. The date can take place in New York between August - December 2013.

You can also bid on lunch for three with Coyle in London at the five star Claridge Hotel.

An evening with Mr. Bates can be pricey. Last year, Sandra Doshner, a retired medical technologist from Long Island, submitted the winning bid of $20,000.

(Photo courtesy Downton Abbey Addicts.) Check out more photos from their night out in 2012.

You can also try for an afternoon tea with Downton’s sassy cook Mrs. Patmore, Lesley Nicol.

Would you put in a bid for the date with Bates? What other Downton actors do you wish auctioned themselves off for dates? Tell me here and why.